Lawmakers set to approve marijuana as a treatment for menstrual cramps

Women who experience debilitating menstrual cramps could soon be allowed to take marijuana for relief, at least in the state of New York where lawmakers are currently mulling the approval of including dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) as one of the health conditions that allow medical marijuana. However, gynecologists say that more research needs to be done to recommend marijuana as a cure for menstrual cramps, the DailyMail.co.uk reported.

“Patients ask me about it all the time. It could be that in five years it’s the first thing I recommend. But right now we need a trial into it. There simply isn’t enough research to say one way or the other,” gynecologist Dr. Lauren Streicher said in the report.

Cannabidiol or CBD is the non-psychoactive component in marijuana that is suggested to work against menstrual cramps. The component has relaxing properties that could help ease muscle contractions in the uterus that cause the pain.

There are already a handful of marijuana products on the market made specifically to combat menstrual pain. Many of these products do not just contain CBD but also THC, marijuana’s psychoactive component that causes the “high” feeling experienced by those who consume the herb.

Most of the marijuana products for menstrual pain have not yet been approved by the FDA, and medical experts have expressed their concern over using the product. General practitioner Dr. Helen Webberly urged caution and, like Streicher, doubted such products because of the lack of research about them.

“I would be very worried about women using this product before it has been fully evaluated,” she was quoted as saying in the report.

However, the women who have actually tried marijuana for their period pain attest to the herb’s efficiency when it comes to providing relief.

In an article on Bustle.com, writer Marley Russell tried seven different marijuana products to see which worked best with her severe menstrual cramps. The products that Russell tried came in different forms, including tampon-like suppositories inserted into the vagina, tinctures dropped on the tongue, body balms scooped into the vagina, and even marijuana-infused cacao taken as hot chocolate. The products had varying levels of THC and CBD.

While Russell felt significant relief and relaxation with all of the products she tried, she ranked vaginal suppositories by Foria and cannabidiol CBD tincture by Magnolia Wellness as the best. The former was more THC-heavy at 60 mg THC and 10 mg of CBD, though as Russell said, using it did not make her high. Instead, she felt relief within minutes of inserting the suppository into her vagina.

“It was like all my pelvis muscles had been holding their breath and suddenly let it out, all at once. It was magic…It was like mainlining medicine straight to my uterus muscles,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, the cannabidiol CBD tincture had a higher CBD ratio, containing 13.39 mg of CBD and just 2.53 mg of THC per milliliter. Russell said that the product worked almost instantaneously, and while she took it orally with two drops of the tincture under her tongue, she felt completely functional and normal — not at all “high”.

“If you live in a place where medical or recreational marijuana is legal, your cramps are getting your down, and other painkiller options aren’t working, I would recommend checking out any of these products,” Russell wrote.

In states where medical marijuana is legal, the controversial herb has been approved as a treatment for a variety of health conditions, many of them painful and debilitating. These diseases include HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer.